O2 Fitness to bring 'lifestyle' feel to Hanover Center

Saturday

Aug 3, 2013 at 7:30 AM

The complex on Oleander Drive will soon be a one-stop shopping center.

By Ashley WithersAshley.Withers@StarNewsOnline.com

Hanover Center will soon be a one-stop shopping center. With the addition of O2 Fitness – expected to open late this year– the shopping center will become a full-service "lifestyle center" with retailers that offer everything from groceries to workout classes to craft supplies."That's what we've always tried to do," said Jim Smith, the development manager for the Oleander Co. "We've always tried to offer a mix of stores that offer something for everyone."The Oleander Co. manages and leases Hanover Center.Lifestyle centers have seen a surge in popularity in recent years as customers have moved away from the typical indoor mall setup.Smith attributes this rise to the "quicker in and quicker out" philosophy behind open centers. Shoppers can see the stores and go only to the ones they need. "It's hard to gauge. It's a trend right now, but that trend may swing back," Smith said. "Quite honestly, I feel there is room for both lifestyle centers and malls."Hanover Center, located across Oleander Drive from Independence Mall, has seen significant growth in the past year as Hobby Lobby took space formerly occupied by the Havertys furniture store. Harris Teeter also completed a major expansion.The 320,000-square-foot Hanover Center will have no vacancies after O2 Fitness opens, according to Smith.Smith said Hanover Center had worked for four years trying to bring O2 to the center. "At that time there was a dip in the economy, but now it's picking back up," he said. "It's still a very stable neighborhood here, and now they will be able to serve both sides of town."The upscale fitness club, which will have a 10-year lease, will go into 26,000 square feet of existing space that once was occupied by the Sears warehouse, Smith said."We have been looking to expand our presence in the market for a long time and feel that Hanover is a prime location in between established and growing neighborhoods, the college and a newly developing retail corridor with great national companies like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Chipotle and Starbucks all building new sites," said Michael Olander, the president and CEO of O2 Fitness. "We have actually been working with the center owner The Oleander Company for a few years on this deal and felt that the growth evidenced that the area was ready for what we offer."O2 is the largest privately owned independent fitness operator in the state, with 11 locations across North Carolina. The Hanover Center location will be the second in Wilmington.O2 will continue to operate its 17,000-square-foot facility at Mayfaire, and the new club will duplicate many of its features. According to a news release from O2, the new fitness center will have a cycle studio with more than 30 bikes, locker rooms with saunas, indoor and outdoor turf areas, and will offer more than 50 group fitness classes.The entrance of the new O2 Fitness will face Park Avenue near the corner of Independence Boulevard, with a view of the Empie Park Fire Station.Cothran Harris Architecture, of Wilmington, designed the new facility.Construction on the Hanover Center location is in progress.